Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Film Review: Dark Skies (2013)

The
Barrett family live a normal life. Daniel, the father, has been out of
work; Lacy, the mother, is trying to sell a house; Jesse, the older
sibling, helps distract his brother from their parents fights, while
rebelling against them; Sammy, the younger brother, is a young boy
afraid of the Sandman. Their world is flipped upside down when odd
things happen in their home; food is eaten, cans are oddly stacked, the
alarm goes off spontaneously, and much more.

Dark Skies is a
SciFi/horror film. This is not a supernatural horror film like
Paranormal Activity or Insidious, it's an alien horror film; I like this
approach as it is underused in a genre filled with ghost stories. The
story moves at a slow pace, not necessarily intense or suspenseful.
Instead, it uses its slow pace to create a dramatic experience - an
experience that focuses on the situation and characters as much as it
focuses on the horror. On that note, the horror mostly consists of
jump-scares and some eerie visuals; most of the jump scares are good,
but we've seen them before. When it isn't trying to scare, the film
focuses on the aliens, called "The Grays", and their origins; the
details are brief yet interesting. The ending of the film is
predictable, but reassuring for fans of the film.

The acting is great. The entire cast deliver
believable performances, with only some overacting during intense
conversations. The design of the Grays is good, about what you'd expect
an alien to look like, or at least what I expected. The direction and
writing from Scott Stewart is great, a very smooth experience with few
flaws. The music isn't special but it works, which is unfortunate
considering the SciFi elements of the film could've spawned a unique,
eerie soundtrack.

Overall, Dark Skies is a good SciFi Horror
film. It never fully fleshes out its unique idea and concept, but it
genuinely entertains. For fans of the genre, you're in for a solid
treat. I recommend a rental for fans of the genre, considering the slow
pace which may put off some viewers.
Score: 6/10